GOOD FOR THE SOUL
[ MISSING THE MOMENT ? | Bryan Duncan ]
Do you remember that one concert where you if you are really right with God , He will choose played through an awesome song set nearly you to lead the masses out of bondage to the flawlessly ? And then the euphoria turned to Promised Land . Personally , I don ’ t think Moses depression because hardly anyone was there played a guitar . to hear it . Maybe that was just me . My greatest suffering has come from an expectation beyond One thing I ’ ve had to repent of in recent years my gifts . I ’ m most unhappy when I cannot love is that I have too often been ashamed to call the music I make because of the response I myself a “ Christian Musician ”. Yes , the label don ’ t get . It ’ s like pulling off an incredible high is pretty restricting in music circles because it note , and knowing that most people don ’ t even conjures up this awful illusion of someone “ who know what key you ’ re in . or that you nearly couldn ’ t make it in the real world ,” or maybe ruptured a kidney to hit it . it ’ s the typecasting that you are embarrassingly narrow minded and could not possibly That ’ s probably why most of us spend too embrace true artistic endeavor . Let ’ s face it , much time trying to impress other musicians , there are snobs in every line of work . But the because at least they understand what you are real suffering here is that I might have an illusion doing . Oswald Chambers said , “ Many of the about what I think other people think . things in life that inflict the greatest injury , grief , or pain stem from the fact that we suffer from Occasionally I will do a concert at places that illusions .” Like the one I have most often , that if I can ’ t afford anything . I call them ‘ secret service ’ am really good I will magically float to the top of gigs . Like the Men ’ s Recovery facility I visited popularity . Or maybe in Christian Music it ’ s that this month . Standing before a room full of men
Quality Comfort Style who have pretty much lost everything through hard living , I suddenly realized that songs about girls and cars , and defiant Rock ‘ n Roll were about as anemic as you could get in this world . But with every song I delivered I felt a strength of purpose that only comes with singing my faith . Singing songs of faith goes way beyond the top 40 . Not only was I offering strength to these men ( and they were responding with enthusiasm ), but I was also finding my own strength of faith in simply doing what I love . The best thing about Christian music is that the songs come with a light at the end of this tunnel .
I think I was surprised here because I had no expectation at this event . I didn ’ t pull up in limousine , rock star fashion , proving my talent by showing my wealth . I had no entourage coming to this smelly half-way house . Nobody here knew my name or had any of my records . And there was an awkward silence when I walked to the front of the room unannounced because none of us could see past our own assumptions . As soon as I began to express what I ’ m learning with music I realized something I too often forget ; that the medium of music and lyric has a power all its own . It needs no other authority to invade a man ’ s soul . We discover feelings we didn ’ t know we had until they were drawn out . Too often I ’ m too busy tightening the nuts and bolts of the mechanism to actually see the miracle .
LONG HOLLOW LEATHER
1131 W . Main St . Franklin , TN 37064
1-800-545-1181 www . longhollowleather . com
The worst thing I do as a musician is to discount the power of a song because it didn ’ t meet some expectation I carry around subconsciously . There might be a reason why a simple song gets the best response . Because maybe there ’ s nothing hindering the feeling it evokes . A feeling that gets lost too often in too many arpeggios . Don ’ t let your expectations ruin the moment .
42 Sep � Oct 2016 ChristianMusician . com